A One-Stop Shop for Everything Plus-Size Fashion

For too long the fashion industry has focused its attention on thin models on runways, in advertisements and on social media. That is, until Unruly. This one-year-old media brand is designed exclusively for plus-size women as a one-stop shop for all things plus-size fashion, including plus-size clothing, outfits, street style stars and more. 

The founder of Unruly, Maggie Griswold, states in her Editor’s Letter, “For those of you who have been told your body isn’t beautiful the way it is, that you’re not worthy of great fashion, or that you need to ‘fix’ the way you look—Unruly is for you. Because there are too few places for fashion-minded, plus-size people to come together, to find shopping guides that work for them, to see size-inclusive takes on the latest trends.” 

Maggie publishes a handful of stories each week to ensure every piece is thoughtful, creative, entertaining and engaging, unlike many media brands which focus on quantity. It’s clear Maggie is passionate about her work and cares about her audience, and therefore only recommends brands and products she believes in. 

Maggie’s co-worker and Elon University alumna Lindsey Lanquist, who joined the Unruly team last fall, said, “It’s powerful to collaborate with someone who places such emphasis on the integrity and quality of her work. She’s giving up a lot of time and energy—all in an effort to make her corner of the world a little better and more inclusive. I think that’s awesome.”    

Since the brand is young, Maggie and Lindsey are working to build the brand and its following, including its website and Instagram (@be.unruly). Both recognize it takes time to build a quality brand and are committed to turning Unruly into something truly special. The two said they hope to expand the brand’s team, include new and diverse voices and eventually branch into retail.  

Lindsey noted the brand is unique because it fulfills a heavily lacking market for plus-size fashion. To put it into perspective, an estimated 68 percent of American women wear a size 14 or larger, and those women spend about $21.4 billion on clothing each year. For such a significant portion of the market, these women are consistently ignored. Lindsey suggests if you see a community that isn’t getting the representation it deserves, raise your voice.